WA cop defends Rayney arrest

A policeman says barrister Lloyd Rayney "stood tall" when he was arrested in front of the media on the day he was named the prime and only suspect in his wife's murder.

Mr Rayney's lawyer Martin Bennett was critical of his client's arrest in September 2007, but Sergeant Craig Carter said Mr Rayney had to leave the home through the front door and did not want to have his head covered.

"He was more than happy to stand tall and walk out," he told the multimillion-dollar defamation trial on Thursday.

The former detective said Mr Rayney was not handcuffed because he was not deemed a risk to anyone.

He also told the WA Supreme Court that when police investigated a theory Mr Rayney hired a hitman to kill his wife Corryn, they looked into a man named Johnny Montani.

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Sgt Carter conceded on Wednesday that an investigation into Mr Rayney's finances failed to show a trail that suggested he paid someone to kill his wife.

Lawyer William Carr, who advised Mr Rayney about his separation from his wife, also testified on Thursday, saying Mr Rayney requested an urgent appointment with him on August 6, 2007 to share a recording of his wife.

Mr Carr said he told Mr Rayney it seemed she was venting but he did not regard her comments as particularly serious.

On August 8, Mr Rayney again requested an urgent meeting because his wife did not show up for work.

She had in fact not been seen since her bootscooting class the night before.

Mr Rayney asked Mr Carr to call lawyer Gillian Anderson, who was advising Ms Rayney regarding the marriage breakdown, to see if she knew anything.

Mr Carr said it was not unusual for people separating to stay at a hotel or with friends, or to go to a clinic, and he mentioned those possibilities to Mr Rayney.

Mr Rayney was usually a calm and collected person, but he was understandably concerned that day, Mr Carr said.

"He was genuinely concerned about where his wife was and why she hadn't come to work."

The Supreme Court registrar was found buried at Kings Park days later.

Ms Anderson testified that she had advised Ms Rayney to stop sending her husband emails because it was "an aggravation" and matters could be dealt with differently.

Ms Anderson did not recall her client ever saying she did not love Mr Rayney, but she was in a difficult relationship and they had not got along for a while.

She said there was a "major" financial issue that gave rise to a lack of trust.

Mr Rayney was acquitted of murdering the mother of two in 2012 and an appeal was dismissed.